Ashley Williams’ suspension for Leicester City’s visit to Goodison Park on Sunday means that Everton have just a single senior centre-back available for the game in the shape of captain Phil Jagielka.

Williams, of course, was sent off in the dying seconds of the Blues trip to Manchester United on Tuesday, for handling a shot by Luke Shaw on the goal-line and Ronald Koeman isn’t overly blessed with alternatives.

While many are now relieved that Everton missed out last summer on target Lamine Kone given the Ivorian’s underwhelming season at basement club Sunderland, a knee injury to Ramiro Funes Mori picked up on international duty for Argentina against Bolivia means that the Blues boss is currently lacking in experienced options at the heart of his defence.

Ramiro Funes Mori and Bolivia's Pablo Escobar vie for the ball during their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier

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Back in the day, the Dutchman was a mean sweeper himself but short of dusting down his own boots at the age of 54, here’s the options that he now must ponder.

The Comeback Kid

Despite his limited game time in top flight football – he’s only started five games to date – perhaps it’s a bit of a stretch to actually label Matthew Pennington a ‘kid’.

He’ll be 23 in October – the same age that Kevin Ratcliffe was when he captained Everton to victory in the 1984 FA Cup final – and is only six months younger than former Blue John Stones.

Warrington-born Pennington seems the most obvious candidate to replace Williams and he looked competent when he came into the side at centre-back in very trying circumstances late last season; in what proved to be the dying embers of Roberto Martinez’s reign.

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Until last weekend he hadn’t kicked a ball for the first team for 11 months though, since going off injured in the 3-0 win over Norwich City on the final day of the 2015/16 campaign.

Although Pennington proved to be Everton’s unlikely goalscorer at Anfield, the difficulties of being thrown in at the deep end against Liverpool told and he was withdrawn midway through second half after a trying time.

His introduction at a similar period at Old Trafford coincided with a spell that the Blues found themselves under the cosh.

Safety in numbers

As we all know, Koeman isn’t averse to switching to three centre-backs and if he’s unsure about playing Pennington alongside Jagielka in the middle of a flat back four on his own, he may decide to go with an additional central defender.

Jagielka, Pennington and Mason Holgate could form a trio across the backline with the Blues employing wing-backs.

Although used in a wide position as part of a back five at Anfield, Yorkshireman Holgate has proven adept when operating as one of three centre-backs this season and could provide an extra insurance policy against the Foxes.

Ashley Young and Mason Holgate confront each other

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The question then is with Seamus Coleman obviously out of the picture with a long-term injury, who could slot into the right wing-back role?

Martinez intriguingly used winger Aaron Lennon as an auxiliary right-back for the League Cup tie at Reading last season but more likely candidates might be all-action midfielders Idrissa Gueye and Tom Davies.

Moving either of them would deplete Everton’s bite in the engine room but their loss could possibly be tempered by the return from injury of Morgan Schneiderlin.

Wise old head

If Schneiderlin does return to fitness against Leicester then his presence could help facilitate a potential move into the defence for fellow anchor man Gareth Barry.

A versatile performer who has also operated at left-back and left midfield at various times in his long career, Barry has done a job for limited periods at centre-back for the Blues.

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At 36, he’s no whippet but as all the best centre-halves know the first five yards are in the head and the former England international’s instincts are still razor sharp.

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Barry is still something of a pup compared to the seasoned Dave Watson-Richard Gough partnership of back in 1999 while his southpaw status also would bring a degree of balance to the defence – so long as he’s not left one-on-one with Jamie Vardy who after a barren spell earlier this season has now bagged seven goals in his last nine outings for club and country.